Miquéias 1

¹ The word of the LORD that came to Micah theBorn in Mareshah, a city of Judah.Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, [and] Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.The Argument – Micah the prophet of the tribe of Judah served in the work of the Lord concerning Judah and Israel at least thirty years: during which time Isaiah prophesied. He declares the destruction first of the one kingdom, and then of the other, because of their manifold wickedness, but chiefly because of their idolatry. And to this end he notes the wickedness of the people, the cruelty of the princes and governors, and the allowing of the false prophets, and the delighting in them. Then he sets forth the coming of Christ, his kingdom, and the felicity of it. This Prophet was not that Micah who resisted Ahab and all his false prophets, (1Ki_22:8) but another with the same name.

² Hear,Because of the malice and obstinacy of the people, whom he had so often exhorted to repentance, he summons them to God's judgments, taking all creatures, and God himself as witness, that the preaching of the Prophets, which they have abused, will be avenged.all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord GOD be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.

³ For, behold, the LORD cometh forth out of his place, and will comeMeaning by this that God will come to judgment against the strong cities and strongholds.down, and tread upon the high places of the earth.

⁴ And the mountaines shall melt vnder him (so shall the valleys cleaue) as waxe before the fire, and as the waters that are powred downewarde.

⁵ For the transgression of Jacob [is] all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel. What [is] the transgression of Jacob? [is it] notSamaria, which should have been an example to all Israel of true religion and justice, was the dirty pool and the tank that all idolatry and corruption was kept alive in, and who prided themselves in their father Jacob, and boasted of him.Samaria? and what [are] the highThat is, the idolatry and infection.places of Judah? [are they] not Jerusalem?

⁶ Therefore I wil make Samaria as an heape of the fielde, and for the planting of a vineyard, and I will cause the stones thereof to tumble downe into the valley, and I will discouer the foundations thereof.

⁷ And all the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all theWhich they gathered by evil practices, and thought that their idols had enriched them with these wages because of their service to them.hires thereof shall be burned with the fire, and all the idols thereof will I lay desolate: for she gathered [it] of the hire of an harlot, and they shall returnThe gain that came by their idols will be consumed as a thing of nothing: for as the wages or riches of harlots are wickedly gotten, so are they vilely and quickly spent.to the hire of an harlot.

⁸ Therefore I will mourne and howle: I wil goe without clothes, and naked: I will make lamentation like the dragons, and mourning as the ostriches.

⁹ For her plagues are grieuous: for it is come into Iudah: the enemie is come vnto the gate of my people, vnto Ierusalem.

¹⁰ Declare ye [it] not atLest the Philistines our enemies rejoice at our destruction.Gath, weep ye not at all: in the house ofWhich was a city near to Jerusalem (Jos_18:23), there called Ophrah, and signifies dust: therefore he wants them to mourn and roll themselves in the dust, for their dusty city.Aphrah roll thyself in the dust.

¹¹ Pass ye away, thou inhabitant ofThese were cities by which the enemy would pass as he came to Judah.Saphir, having thy shame naked: the inhabitant of Zaanan came not forth in the mourning of Bethezel; he shallHe will not depart before he has overcome you, and so you will pay for his staying.receive of you his standing.

¹² For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully for good: but evil came down from the LORD unto theFor Rabshakeh had shut up Jerusalem, so that they could not send to help them.gate of Jerusalem.

¹³ O thou inhabitant of Lachish, bind the chariot to theTo flee away: for Sennacherib laid siege first to that city, and remained there when he sent his captains and army against Jerusalem.swift beast: sheYou first received the idolatry of Jeroboam, and so infected Jerusalem.[is] the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion: for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee.

¹⁴ Therefore shalt thou give presents toYou will bribe the Philistines your neighbours, but they will deceive you, as well as those of Jerusalem.Moreshethgath: the houses of Achzib [shall be] a lie to the kings of Israel.

¹⁵ Yet will I bring anHe prophesies against his own city: and because it signified a heritage, he says that God would send an heir to possess it.heir unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah: he shall come unto AdullamFor so they thought themselves because of the strength of their cities.the glory of Israel.

¹⁶ Make thee balde: and shaue thee for thy delicate children: enlarge thy baldenesse as the eagle, for they are gone into captiuity from thee.